Hot off the press!

Warwick van Ede, a NSW Law Society Accredited Specialist in property law, and senior lawyer at JS Mueller & Co Lawyers, has been appointed a member of the Property Law Committee of the Law Society of NSW for 2021 due to his expertise in property and strata law.

An experienced lawyer of almost 30 years, Warwick specialises in litigation, property and strata law, with a focus on NSW.

Warwick has appeared, often as advocate, in all Courts and Tribunals across NSW representing clients at NCAT, the Supreme Court, and Federal Court of Australia and in lower Courts.

JS Mueller & Co Lawyers are proud of Warwick’s achievement and are confident Warwick will be an excellent committee member providing sound policy input and advice using his specialist knowledge and experience in the area of property and strata law.  Warwick’s appointment also recognises the expertise held by the team at JS Mueller & Co in property and strata law.

By drawing on the insights of expert committee members such as Warwick, the Law Society is able to act as a major player in law reform and policy debates including in relation to strata law. We look forward to Warwick making a valuable contribution to law reform in the strata space.

To view Warwick’s full profile click here.

For all NSW strata legal including by-laws, building defect and levy collection advice contact us here or call 02 9562 1266, we’re happy to assist.

Did you know there are 81,717 strata schemes registered in NSW and every year this number grows by more than 1,000 across Sydney and regional NSW?

That’s why the NSW government has recently recognised the importance of strata living laws and the need to ensure that they stay relevant and address some fundamental issues that have arisen since the laws were re-written in 2015.

An online survey has been developed and the NSW Government is asking you to ‘have your say’ here now.

For all NSW strata legal including by-laws, building defect and levy collection advice contact us here or call 02 9562 1266, we’re happy to assist.

NSW government launches new building defects guide.

The ‘Strata Defects Rectification Guide’ has been developed as a first point of call for current and future lot owners and stakeholders such as strata managers concerned about defects.

The online tool provides vital information helping to navigate the process of identifying, documenting, reporting and rectifying building defects in strata schemes.

Access to the guide is available here Strata Defects Rectification Guide

For all NSW strata legal including by-laws, building defect and levy collection advice contact us here or call 02 9562 1266, we’re happy to assist.

NCAT’s Appeal Panel has decided that strata records are not protected by privacy laws and that an owner is entitled to inspect strata records that relate to other owners.

Here we share the following case confirming that a strata manager or owners corporation cannot refuse to make available for the inspection of an owner records which the owner is entitled to inspect under the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 on the grounds of privacy and that those records are not protected by privacy laws.

Read the full case here: Strata Records not Protected by Privacy By-laws

For all NSW strata legal, by-law, building defect and levy collection advice contact us here or call 02 9562 1266, we’re happy to assist.

In a recent decision, the Appeal Panel of NCAT has approved of a by-law which introduced a “user pays” system for the cost of electricity used to keep hot water supplied to some but not all lots in a mixed-use strata scheme.

This decision confirms that an owners corporation is able to make a by-law that introduces a “user pays” system for utilities costs such as water, electricity and gas expenses.

Based in Byron Bay this case is an important step in confirming that an owners corporation is able to introduce a “user pays” by-law for the cost of utilities that are supplied to some but not all lots.

JS Mueller & Co Lawyers has drafted many of these types of by-laws which are not uncommon.

To read the full article click here: NCAT Gives the Green Light for User Pays By-laws

For all NSW strata legal, by-law, building defect and levy collection advice contact us here or call 02 9562 1266, we’re happy to assist.

On 10 June 2020, the New South Wales Government made new laws regulating the construction of apartment buildings.

Those new building defect laws commenced on 1 September 2020 and will have a significant impact on all owners corporations and the strata industry.

In this paper we discuss the new laws and how they will impact the strata industry including:

• Occupation Certificates
• Stop Work Orders
• Rectification Orders
• Delegation of Powers
• Retrospectivity

Read the full paper here: New Laws that will have a significant impact on the Strata Industry.

For all NSW strata legal, by-law, building defect and levy collection advice contact us here or call 02 9562 1266, we’re happy to assist.

There have been two recent court cases involving “squatter’s rights” over parcels of land in Sydney.

In both of those cases, people have acquired ownership of parcels of land they did not own through adverse possession by exercising “squatter’s rights”.

Both of these cases raise interesting questions for strata schemes:

• What are “squatter’s rights”?
• Can “squatter’s rights” exist in a strata scheme?
• Do the rules for “squatter’s rights” make it impossible for a person to claim ownership of part of the common property in strata scheme?
• Do those rules make it difficult for an owners corporation to claim ownership of a lot even if it has been abandoned?

Abandoned houses, “dunny lanes”, car spaces, storerooms and more: here we explain this complex area of law and share some recent cases – Squatters Rights in Strata Schemes.

For all NSW strata legal advice inclusive of by-laws, building defect and levy recovery advice please contact us here or call 02 9562 1266, we’re happy to assist.

In a surprising decision, the Supreme Court has recently held that lot owners are able to start legal action in NCAT to force an owners corporation to grant them a licence to use common property before the owners corporation has rejected their proposal for a licence.

This decision will alter the strategy of some owners who want to obtain special rights over areas of common property and may result in the commencement of litigation to gain leverage over an owners corporation.

Ultimately this case gives NCAT a mandate to attempt to resolve strata disputes in a more flexible way.

Read the full case here Supreme Court, NCAT and A Load of Rubbish

For NSW strata legal, by-law, building defect and levy collection advice contact us here or call 02 9562 1266, we’re happy to assist.

Late 2019 a major development occurred for the strata industry when the New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) held that Biowood cladding is combustible, poses an undue risk of fire spreading and is a major building defect.

As of yesterday 4 August, 2020…

In a first for Australia, NCAT’s Appeal Panel upheld a 2019 finding by NCAT that Biowood cladding installed on the facade of a multi-storey building in Sydney is combustible and must be removed.

The owners corporation of the building was successfully represented by Mueller’s and is the first reported case where a Court or Tribunal has upheld a finding that a particular type of cladding is combustible.

The outcome of the case represents a win for owners corporations and sends another timely warning to builders and developers that use of combustible cladding is fraught with risk and carries with it substantial consequences.

The first case in Australia (and globally) the decision in this case sets a precedent A Win for Owners Corporation – Biowood Cladding Confirmed Combustible

For NSW strata legal, by-law, building defect and levy collection advice contact us here or call 02 9562 1266, we’re happy to assist.

Get Your By-Laws Checked: New Rules for Abandoned Goods and Vehicles on Strata Properties

On 1 July 2020, the NSW legislation for abandoned goods on strata properties moved to the Uncollected Goods Act 1995 and will therefore no longer be regulated under the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 and strata regulations.

This means what can be done to dispose of or sell abandoned goods on common property in NSW strata buildings has changed.

A Quick Summary of the New Rules for Abandoned Goods

1.The Uncollected Goods Act 1995 (Act) is the law that now governs goods and vehicles abandoned on common property within strata properties in NSW.

2. The Act divides abandoned goods into six categories with different rules and procedure applying to each category. The six categories are:

• • Perishable
  • Low Value
  • Medium Value
  • High Value
  • Personal Documents and Memorabilia
  • Motor Vehicles (an owners corporation can move vehicles that it reasonably believes have been abandoned on common property)

3. A person disposing of the abandoned goods will not be liable for doing so if they follow the procedures set out in the Act. This includes disposing of abandoned goods in accordance with an order made by the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) as NCAT has the power to order the disposal and management of the goods.

4. Under the Act, uncollected goods including any goods that owners reasonably believe to be abandoned or left behind on common property.

5. Appropriate records of the sale or disposal of the abandoned goods must be kept by the party disposing the goods and who it went to as follows:

• • Low value items documentation must be kept for at least 12 months
  • Higher value items plus their records must be kept for at least 12 years

6. If you don’t know the person who owns the abandon goods, you should make a reasonable effort to identify the owner of the goods and communicate with them.

7. The strata committee can request that additional expenses for removing, storing, maintaining or insuring the goods are covered.

8. A person cannot confiscate and refuse to return the goods because the owner owes money for other debts, such as rent or levies.

9. For more information visit Fair Trading NSW ‘uncollected goods and vehicles in strata schemes’.

10. You will need to update your abandoned goods and vehicle by-laws to ensure they are in line with these new laws.

For NSW strata legal, by-law, building defect and levy collection advice contact us here or call 02 9562 1266, we’re happy to assist.